RUBBER SPRINGING

Evening Star, Issue 25620, 22 October 1945, Page 2

RUBBER SPRINGING

KIGHLY-EFFICIEHT SYSTEM Considerable world-wide interest was displayed in automotive circles just before the war in the _ “ Torsilastic ” rubber spring evolved by the Goodrich Co., one of America’s leading rubber manufacturers. During the war years, little has been heard of tins system of suspension of motor vehicles, but, judging by the latest reports from the United States, this style of suspension was successfully applied to some of the American tracked , landiug vehicles, an application found necessary despite the shortage of natural rubber, the use of which is 'essential to the efficiency of the “ Torsilastic ” spring. So satisfactory and effective has this rubber torsion spring proved in its war application that one of the loading motor coach corporations in America has decided to fit this unconventional type of suspension to 1,000 new motor coaches which it has on order.

The Torsilastic is completely different from the usual types of steel springs fitted to motor vehicles, says the ‘ Dunlop Bulletin.’ It consists of a steel outer shell and central shaft, with the space between the shell wall and the shaft filled with rubber, which is firmly bonded to the metal. The cylinder is held in a fixed position on the axle of the vehicle, while a shackled arm collects the shaft to the chassis frame. All the springing, which is claimed to be highly efficient, is accomplished by the twisting movement of the .shaft in the natural rubber. The spring is now in volume production in the States, and indications are that in the not distant future, more will be heard of this simple type of suspension for some types of automobiles.